Do You See the Humor in This?

Posted by vicky on 18 April 2016

Did you know that April is National Humor Month? If you have a great sense of humor, or even if you don’t, check out some of my favorite funny books!

Most people think of comic books when someone says “funny books.” Comic books were some of the first “books” I read as a child and I still have a fondness for Archie and the gang, Richie Rich, Casper and Wendy and all those other 1960’s comics. However, there are many, many other comic books to explore. Here is a sampling of what the library has to offer:

One of my favorite genres is mystery. There are a number of mystery writers who do a great job of injecting humor into their books. I highly recommend these authors:

Donna Andrews, author of the Meg Langslow mystery series set in the fictional town of Caerphilly, Virginia. Meg and her quirky extended family and assorted animals are hilarious, and you will find yourself laughing through most of the books.

Jo Dereske, author of the Miss Zukas mystery series. Helma Zukas is a librarian in fictional Bellehaven, Washington, and is the stereotypical librarian–prim, proper, and absolutely hilarious. She too has a knack for getting involved in mysteries and solving them.

Sue Ann Jaffarian, author of the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series. Granny Apples, aka Ish Reynolds, is the ghost of Emma Whitecastle’s long-dead great, great, great grandmother. Emma can see and hear Granny Apples, who helps her solve mysteries. Granny Apples is a hoot, and it’s always fun to see her reactions to and interactions with modern culture.

Janet Evanovich, author of the Stephanie Plum mystery series. Stephanie is a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, and with the help of her friend, Lula, often finds herself in the most hilarious situations. These books are not to everyone’s taste, but I find them very funny.

There are many, many very funny fiction books out there, too many to list here, but here are three authors I like:

Christopher Moore: His books feature an ordinary person going through extraordinary circumstances, usually involving the supernatural in some way, complete with dark humor. His books include Lamb, Fool, and Sacre Bleu. Again, these are not to everyone’s taste due to the dark humor.

George MacDonald Fraser: The Flashman series, for fans of historical fiction. The character of Harry Flashman was first introduced as the bully in Tom Brown’s School Days by Thomas Hughes. Fraser relates Flashman’s adventures after he was expelled from school in the 1830s and ends up in the military, in the Eleventh Light Dragoons. Flashman is a scoundrel, almost an anti-hero, and his adventures are filled with humor and drama.

Members will discuss Persuasion by Jane Austen; new members welcome; free; no registration. For complete list of 2019 titles: https://fauquierlibrary.org/for-readers/marshall-evening-book-club/Share this:TwitterEmailPrintFacebook